‘Son Çare’ (meaning Last Chance), situated in Antalya’s atmospheric and beautifully restored Kaleiçi (old town) provides a glorious sight at any time of the day. This small – barely more than a kiosk – establishment is secreted away just behind the picture postcard Clock Tower. It comes into its own late at night when the bars, clubs and music venues are starting to disgorge their customers.
The smell and sound of sizzling köfte (a spicy Turkish meatball) will direct you to the right place. Ask for a köfte sandwich and the guy will throw four or five meat balls on to the barbeque, closely followed by a generous portion of bread. Once this is cooked, the fun really begins - a large counter out front displays every kind of fresh salad vegetable available including: different types of lettuce, rocket, flat-leafed parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, onions, carrots, the list goes on. Next there are bowls of spices: pul biber (red pepper flakes), sumac, thyme, cumin, black pepper and small but deadly pickled chillies. Fill your sandwich to your heart’s content and wash it all down with a cool glass of ayran – a refreshing salty yoghurt drink.
Not only does this mop up any alcohol and help ward off next day’s hangover, but you can feel justified in having indulged yourself in a healthy snack. Beats chips with curry sauce any day.

Just off Dönerci Çarşısı, close to the clock tower in Antalya's Kaleici - just ask any local!

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Turks are famed for their hospitality, so for me, the best eating in Turkey is neither in the cities nor the resorts, but in people’s homes. Get off the beaten track and many people are delighted to welcome visitors. On a recent road trip between the Mediterranean resorts of Antalya and Kaş, my friend was caught short while passing through at small village. We stopped to ask a group of women outside the village shop if there was a toilet handy. One of them, smiling broadly, beckoned us into her neighbouring house to use her facilities. She then insisted we sit while she brought us traditional tulip shaped glasses of piping-hot çay (Turkish tea). While we were busy drinking, we realised she was preparing our lunch - an offer we couldn’t refuse.
A few minutes later, a huge tray arrived, laden with dishes. A saucer of olives picked from the tree in her garden and home-cured with thyme and lemon was followed by sliced tomatoes in which you could taste the warmth of the Medittarenan sun. A plate of strong, crumbly local goats cheese came accompanied by bowls of creamy chicken soup that our host indicated had also come from her garden, gesturing outside at the small flock of happily clucking hens. It was all served with piles of yufka – delicious and impossibly soft and thin village flatbread. We ate it, attempting to communicate in our few words of Turkish with our host and her assorted children, grandchildren and their friends. The warmth of this welcome and the delicious simplicity of the food is the real taste of Turkey.

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This is a 2 star hotel in a historical Ottoman building. It has air conditioning, pool and B&B plus wi-fi all for 30 Euros a night. Ibrahim the manager is very helpful and accommodating.

www.urcuhotel.com/
Barbaros Mh. Hadi Efendi Sk. 07100 Muratpaşa
+90(0)242 243 67 00
Google map: bit.ly/oh7cZB

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As one who loves cooking I always look out for interesting kitchen utensils to bring back from a holiday. Some are more useful than others. What ever you buy is always a good reminder of your holiday and where you shopped.
This also gives you the opportunity to wander off the beaten track to discover small ironmongers or market stalls stacked with goodies.
Turkey in general is known for its stainless steel products. In Antalya I found a pressure cooker. Not so practical to get home, however how could I resist? It is fantastic quality, simplicity in it's design and a real bargain for £12.

Back streets that surround the markets in Central Antalya one in particular Bahçecik Mah. Atatürk Cad. No:338 D:A, Konyaaltı, Antalya/Antalya Province, Turkey

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It is a company that provides transportation between the airport and any hotel in the city. I recommend it, because it helps you enjoy more your vacation or focus on your business without thinking about transport.

www.antalyaairporttransportation.com

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A delightful French restaurant with a verdant garden tucked away in the back streets of Kaş. Evy was a chef on yachts before settling in Kaş and she brings a real taste of France to this corner of the Mediterranean. The menu is short, but the taste is huge, as are the portions. The steaks are the biggest we've ever had, and are served with a choice of sauces and a huge side dish of seasonal veg. Wild boar, succulent lamb and chicken also feature on the menu. It is very hard to leave room for dessert.

In the off season dine inside and be entertained by various colourful locals hanging out at the bar and by Evy's dancing parrot. Reservations essential, and it is worth the wait.

Terzi Sokak 2, in a small street behind the Red Point bar, Kas
+90 242 836-1253
Google map: bit.ly/aoNLvm

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This exciting new trek follows the prettiest parts of Turkey's first ever long-distance footpath - the Lycian Way. The route snakes its way over bare hillsides and through scented pine forests overlooking the blue Mediterranean. It dips down to wonderful hidden beaches where sparkling waves lap smooth sands. We spend the nights at tiny villages where grape vines wreathe the stone cottages. The trek descends to the ancient Lycian coastal fort of Pydnai and the three temples of Letoon, where French archaeologists are re-creating history.

www.ecoturkey.com

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Situated 180 km from Antalya, Gazipasa is a charming little town with a beach 10 km long, beautiful forests and turquoise blue coves. Iskele, the site of the Koru and Kahyalar beaches, is an important breeding ground of the caretta caretta turtles. Mostly undeveloped up until the present time, Gazipasa is on its way to being an attractive tourist centre with accommodation, recreation facilities, an airport and yacht harbour still under construction, as well as the natural and historical treasures of the area.

Antiocheia Ad Cragum 18 km east of Gazipasa, and within the village of Guney. These ruins get their name from the Commagene King Antiochus IV, and are found on the three hills that stretch out towards the sea. It has the ruins of a castle dating back to the Roman and Byzantine era, a column-lined boulevard, agora, baths, victory arch, a church and the city necropolis. The barrel-vaulted memorial tombs with their pre-entrance porticoes are well preserved and reflect a style peculiar to the region.

Adanda (Lamos) This ancient city is located 15 km northeast of Gazipasa, and was founded two km north of the present-day village of Adanda, on the top of a high and steep hill. It is a walled city with a large tower south of the city gate, and among the ruins are a fountain carved into the living rock and two temples. Other significant ruins are the tombs in the necropolis made of single pieces of carved stone. These remains are a good representation of the culture and art of the mountainous Cilician region.

Nephelis. This ancient ruin can be reached by going through the village of Muzkent 12 km out on the Gazipasa-Anamur road and taking the gravel road south for about 5 km. The southern area is surrounded by the sea and steep cliffs. The city consists of the acropolis and the remains of dwellings spread out in an east-west fashion. The only standing structures date back to the Roman and Byzantine periods and include a Medieval Castle, a temple, a musical hall, irrigation system and the necropolis.

Selinus Located on the slopes in southwest of Hacimusa Creek by Gazipasa Beach, the ancient city of Selinus is one of the most important cities in the mountainous Cilician region. On the top of the hill is the acropolis as well as the walls and towers of a medieval castle, which are fairly well preserved. In the Acropolis, a church and cistern have survived the ravages of time. The other buildings of Selinus are near the beach and on the slopes, among which are the baths, agora, Islami Yapi (mansion), aqueducts and the necropolis. Most of the bones in the Alanya Museum were brought from the Necropolis and allow the workshop in the museum to exist.

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This is about 1.5 hour drive from Antalya and it is a beautiful city and not as crowed. It has great beaches.

Fly to Antalya and take a bus there or rent a car

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Never get angry or show your anger to locals, in shops or markets.

Turks are generally very friendly and hospitable. You may feel pressurised to buy something, but they know you don't have to. If you find it difficult to extricate yourself from a persuasive salesman/woman, just politely say 'No thank you', 'Sorry, not today, thank you' or better still, 'Tesekur' ('Thank you' in Turkish), and walk away.

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